Sweat, Baiden In; Sloan, Warzycha Out

The Crew has signed draft picks Ben Sweat and Fifi Baiden and released rostered player Shawn Sloan and unsigned trialist Konrad Warzycha, coach and sporting director Gregg Berhalter confirmed today.

The moves put the Crew at 30 players signed to the roster, but two unsigned players – forward Adam Bedell and defender Patrick Slogic – will remain with the team when it leaves Sunday to continue its training in Florida as part of the Disney Pro Soccer Classic.

Sweat, a left back from the University of South Florida, was the team’s first-round selection in the Major League Soccer SuperDraft.

“It’s obviously super exciting for me,” Sweat said. “I think I came in at a great time with a great team, an all-new coaching staff and new players. I’m really excited to get started this season.”

Baiden was taken in the third round out of UC Santa Barbara. He tweeted a photo of himself signing the contract Wednesday and was congratulated by Crew investor-operator Anthony Precourt on being added to the roster.

After he was picked, Baiden said he got a phone call from Crew midfielder/forward Dominic Oduro, also a native of Ghana.

“He’s been very helpful,” Baiden said of Oduro, who was also his roommate when the Crew trained in Bradenton, Fla., during the preseason. “He’s helped me settle into the team and get used to how they play. It’s helped me a lot in these few weeks.”

Berhalter said he is hopeful that both players will see first-team action this season. Both played in the Crew’s only preseason game to this point.

Teams do not have to have their rosters down to 30 players until March 1. The Crew will continue to carry four goalkeepers for now, Berhalter said.

“I like the ability to train with four goalkeepers,” he said. “They’ve been doing a good job and we’d like to have four ‘keepers around during the preseason.”

Sloan was taken by the Crew in the supplemental draft prior to 2013, and he spent the year with the team but did not make a first-team appearance in league action. Warzycha, son of former coach Robert, made 13 appearances including two starts but had his option declined at the end of the season.

“It’s the worst part of the job,” Berhalter said. “These are guys that put in three weeks of really good effort and you have to tell them that they’re not part of it anymore. That’s not easy.”

Berhalter said the staff met with Sloan and Warzycha this morning and told them the news. They were not part of the final day of training at SuperKick in Lewis Center, but Berhalter said he hopes the Crew can help both players get connected with other teams.

The Crew could also look at placing rookie Matt Wiet on the disabled list as he continues to recover from a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Doing so would open up another roster spot as long as Wiet missed at least six games.

“We have to see how he comes out of this injury,” Berhalter said. “He’s progressing well, but he’s not going to join us in Orlando. We’ll keep evaluating him.”